In journalist security field, maturing and understanding

Journalist security is still a maturing field, but news
organizations are devoting more attention to preparing their reporters and
photographers for the dangers particular to the profession. That means
understanding risks that are constantly evolving. The brutal attack on CBS
correspondent Lara
Logan at a Cairo demonstration has drawn worldwide attention to the issue
of sexual
assault against journalists--CPJ issued new
guidelines on the threat today--but the case also points to an emerging, if lesser-known
threat. In the past 18 months, more journalists have been killed covering
violent demonstrations and other non-military events than at any time since CPJ
began keeping detailed records two decades ago.

"The Lara Logan case drove the point home, that we must prepare our journalists not only for the battlefield but for all of the various new threats they face when covering the news," said Larry Rubenstein, a photojournalist who recently became Thomson Reuters' general manager for safety and logistics for editorial. "But we've been seeing it for some time and are continually reviewing our training."

For decades the overwhelming majority of all journalists
killed worldwide, nearly three out four, were murdered outright. Most were local
journalists murdered in direct reprisal for their work. Fewer than one in five were
killed in combat. And even fewer, about one in 10, were killed covering violent
demonstrations.

That seems to have changed, at least for the time being. The
rise of street demonstrations and related violent clashes poses an emerging
threat to journalists. So far this
year, for the first time that CPJ has documented, more journalists (eight) died
in violent protests than were murdered (four) or killed on the battlefield
(five).

The shift began last
year, when one in four work-related fatalities was related to street demonstrations.
One has go to back well over a decade in CPJ's database to find a time when a
sizeable number of journalists were killed outside of murder or military combat.
(The year was 1997, when five documentary filmmakers were among 17 people
killed in a bomb attack in India.)

Rubenstein says Thomson Reuters is adjusting its security
training and protocols to take into account a shift from battlefield hazards to
civilian threats. The changes include more training in cultural skills to help
journalists navigate chaotic crowds. Security professionals who train
journalists say they are adjusting their curriculum to reflect the challenges.

For years, former military personnel--especially British
Royal Marines who dominate firms such as Centurion and Tor International--have
provided much of the security training for journalists. But today civilian
experts are taking a more prominent role in preparing journalists for risks
that are particular to the field, including the threat of sexual aggression on
the job.

Melissa Soalt is one.
"Predators will often test you first," said Soalt, an independent
self-defense expert who specializes in training women. "So women must maintain
their physical space through body language, demeanor, and even tone of voice."

Properly addressing the aftermath of a sexual assault, when
trauma may set in, is very important as well. Among news organizations, there
is increasing awareness of the need to provide stress and trauma management to
staffers. The Associated Press has done exemplary work in developing procedures
to help manage stress, according to trauma experts. "We make every effort to
calibrate our response to our employees' reactions to covering violent or
difficult situations," Santiago Lyon, AP's director of photography, told CPJ. "We
seek out leaders in the field of trauma separately to that end."

Covering the news, of course, requires constant adjustment
to ever-changing events. New organizations are learning that the security of
their journalists also depends on understanding and adjusting to evolving
threats.

Comments

Great post, Frank! This is a very important issue to address for journalists working in war zones and in areas of civil unrest. Thanks for sharing how some of the major news organizations are preparing and supporting their employees, which is a positive move despite not being able to control what happens to their employees while on assignment.

This isn't just about war and civil unrest. I covered some very brutal court cases including terrorism and serial killing and received no help whatsoever. The results were devastating. I was later diagnosed with PTSD. Any help that organizations can give reporters is needed. Organizations also need to know the warning signs of trauma issues before reporters/photographers go over the edge. I went over that edge and it was my family that was left to pick up the pieces. I'm very lucky to be alive in the aftermath.